SUBJECTS: Budget 2021; JobMaker; need to grow the economy; Australia’s relationship with China; India travel ban; quarantine; vaccine rollout; representation of women in Federal politics; pre-selection for the next Federal election.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: The Government said there would be 450,000 new jobs created through their JobMaker program. We know the real figure falls 449,000 short of that. The fact is that this Government, when people look at the Budget next week, will have to weigh up what will actually happen as opposed to what they say will happen. It's a Government without an agenda, without a sense of purpose. It's a Government seeking to fix issues like childcare where last year, after the Budget Reply and Labor's announcement, they said there was no issue with childcare, that it was all working fine. And we know already in this year we've seen childcare fees skyrocket again by another 5 per cent or 6 per cent. We know that this is important economic reform. And yet, the Government wants to provide support on the basis of having more than one child in childcare at any particular time and forget about providing the support that's necessary but more importantly, the economic reform that's necessary as well. This Government has a challenge next week. It's to boost productivity, to create secure jobs and to grow the economy in a way that spreads opportunity. Happy to take questions.
 
JOURNALIST: Speaking of the Budget, iron ore prices are skyrocketing. Is the Government relying on them too much to repair the damage done to the Budget?
 
ALBANESE: Well, the Government's totally relying upon that as an issue. We know that this is a Government that when you look at the quality of its spend, you look at Sports Rorts, you look at Community Safety Rorts, you look at the abuse of taxpayers' funds, which they treat as though they're Liberal National Party funds, and what you don't see is value for money for the expenditure of this Government.
 
JOURNALIST: China has cut communication with Australian diplomats. What kind of situation are in we in and how is the Government going to repair this?
 
ALBANESE: Well, this is unfortunate. We do need dialogue with China. It can't be just on their terms, though. It's got to be on both countries' terms. And so, this is regrettable. What's also regrettable is that the Government says that it wants to have better relations with countries including the Quad that includes, of course, the United States, Japan and India. Well, if anyone thinks that our relations with India have been improved in the last week, then they're kidding themselves. The fact is that this Government's response to the terrible circumstance which India finds itself in has been regrettable, has been short-sighted and hasn't been thought through.
 
JOURNALIST: There is talk the Government is planning two repatriation flights a week once that ban lifts. Is that going to be enough to bring home Australians that are stuck in India?
 
ALBANESE: Why is it that Scott Morrison said he'd have Australians home by Christmas and it's now in May, and they're now talking about new strategies? Why is it that Howard Springs isn't at capacity now and shouldn't it have been at capacity for more than a year? Why is it that Scott Morrison is sending over an aid flight, but which will come back empty rather than being filled with Australians who would then go into quarantine to keep the rest of Australia safe? The fact is that Australia has obligations to our citizens. And it's no wonder that or Australian citizens in these circumstances feel abandoned by their own Government.
 
JOURNALIST: Do you oppose the ban all together?
 
ALBANESE: Well, we think that it's sensible to place restrictions on commercial flights. That's occurred with the UK, it happened with the United States. But even when it came to Wuhan, at the height of this outbreak, we had flights, charter flights, to bring Australians back home. Here what we've had is a policy of locked out or locked up by this Prime Minister. And now he's seeking to blame anyone else but himself for the locked-out policy producing a backlash against the Government. Thank you.
 
JOURNALIST: When would you like to see repatriation flights?
 
ALBANESE: Last year is when people should have been brought home when the Prime Minister said they would be brought home. We need to put in place appropriate quarantine measures, just like we need to fix the rollout of the vaccines. This Government has had a year to plan for this. This outbreak of COVID started in January last year. We're now in May 2021 and the Government's scrambling for an appropriate response, issuing media releases in the middle of the night without appropriate consultation, and just not being able to deliver sensible outcomes that keep Australians who are here safe whilst also making sure that the obligations that we have to Australian citizens are fulfilled. The Australian passport has to mean something. And what that means is that Australia has an obligation to our own citizens. Thanks very much.
 
JOURNALIST: There's a number of people squaring off for pre-selection in the newly created seat in Victoria. There's a push, including four women, who are vying for pre-selection. Would you like to see a woman pre-selected? 
 
ALBANESE: I want to see half of Labor's representation across the board be women. We have 50 per cent representation in terms of our Shadow Cabinet. I'm very confident that after the next election, if we're in a position to form a Labor Government, we will have 50 per cent women's representation. That will be a good thing. And it stands in stark contrast to the current Government's approach and the Liberal Party's failure on these issues. We have called nominations for seats in Victoria. There is a new seat. I'm hoping that all existing House of Representatives members are re-endorsed by the Party. It's a matter for, of course, nominations. We'll wait and see. That process is being worked through and those discussions are taking place within the Victorian branch. But I'm very confident that across the board we will have 50 per cent representation. Already we've had some significant gains including people like Marion Scrymgour, nominating for Lingiari to replace Warren Snowdon as the local member. Thanks very much.
 
ENDS